Inspection Detail

Inspection: 308683440 - Deffenbaugh Industries, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Omaha Area Office

Investigation Summary

On November 14, 2006, Employee #1 and a dump truck driver were operating a Mack Chassis with a Leach Refuse Packmaster Body, Model Number 2R II, Serial Number 14443. The truck had a capacity of 25 yards. The refuse container has a bar known as a trunnion bar that slides into a small valley at the rear of the vehicle and is used as a pivot point during the lifting process. The latch arms hold the ends of the trunnion bar in place and prevent it from accidentally sliding free from the small valley at the rear of the truck. As the dump truck was in operation, the dumpster portion broke free from its mounting point, on the back of a refuse truck, and swung around the rear of the vehicle. Employee #1 was crushed between the dumpster and the truck. The accident investigation revealed that a manufacturer installed safety latches, designed to prevent the container from falling from the rear of the vehicle, had been removed. Additionally, the trunnion bar of the vehicle appeared to have been pushed free by debris in the hopper of the dump truck. It was speculated that the debris may have been pushed into the trunnion during the packing cycle of the hopper blade or may have been present in the valley, preventing the trunnion from seating properly. It was reported that there were three rolls of carpet in the hopper, one of which was crushed at the end where it appears to have been pushed against the edge of the hopper.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, MAINTENANCE, UNSECURED, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, DUMP TRUCK, FALLING OBJECT, MOTOR VEHICLE